The right way to deal with stress
Have you been feeling stressed the last few days?
Stress has somehow become part of our daily lives. We have become so used to this feeling of being under pressure that we almost take it for granted.
We know exactly how it feels to be under stress, but tend not to think too much about the health consequences. Did you know that continuous stress can contribute to insomnia, depression, cardiovascular disease, and many other illnesses? The WHO calls stress one of the global health problems of the 21st century. Young people and millennials in particular feel increasingly stressed at work and in their daily lives. That's why at NOUMEN, we want to help you deal with stress better, manage it effectively and prevent it in the long run. Therefore, we have 5 tips on how you can effectively reduce stress.
5 tips on how to effectively reduce stress
1. Change of perspectives
When it comes to stress, your body and mind are inextricably linked. You can think of stress as something that causes harm to your body (and it can) or as something that gives you energy and strength to overcome challenges.
Here's a quick way to think about these two very different views of stress. Read the statement and think about your own possible response.
When I am stressed it causes me to breathe faster and that means:
- General view: My rapid breathing is a sign of anxiety. I worry about whether I can meet the challenge and believe the stress will have a bad effect on my performance and health.
- Alternative view: I should breathe deeply. My faster breathing means more oxygen is getting to my brain, so I can think more clearly. This means I can better meet the challenge ahead of myself.
You're probably aware that the alternative view is a better choice for thinking about stress. It may be hard to believe that such a small change in thinking can make a difference, but that's exactly what Harvard researchers have found. In the Mind over Matter experiment, one group was allowed to play video games; another was taught to simply ignore stressful feelings when they arose during the test. A third group received similar advice to the quiz above. They received an introduction to the physical stress response and learned that a higher heart rate, faster breathing and inner turmoil all contribute to being strong during a stressful event. They learned how the body's stress response has evolved to help us succeed and that the increased symptoms of stress can promote performance in stressful situations. The bottom line of the lesson was this: In a difficult situation, stress makes you stronger.
The group that learned to rethink the role of stress in their lives performed much better on the exam. They gave better speeches and were rated as more confident. They smiled more and had a more positive body language. Physiological indicators showed that their bodies handled the stress response better than subjects who were taught to ignore stress or were given no advice at all. Stanford psychologist Kelly McGonigal is an advocate of rethinking stress, noting that the right approach can make us smarter and stronger. Her video How to make stress your friend has been viewed millions of times.
2. Implement Braincare in your daily life
Train your mind and let Braincare become a part of your daily life to help you cope with stress.
When you are under stress on a daily basis, it is often difficult to understand how breathing exercises or a few moments of meditation can help you reduce stress. How can a few moments of calm help you?
Picture this. Continuously training your muscles without any rest will lead to injury and may even tear your muscle. Smart athletes know exactly how important a rest day is and plan their workouts wisely. When muscles can regenerate, they grow faster and get stronger. We can also think of our spirit or mind as an emotional muscle. Incessant stress without breaks will not make it stronger. Your emotions, your brain and also your body need moments of rest to deal with stress in the best possible way.
Think of meditation like high-intensity interval training for the brain. In the H.I.I.T. workout, you power out and then give yourself a few minutes of recovery before repeating the exercise. This cycle is more effective for building strength than long, slow workouts. Now imagine a high-intensity, stressful day at work. But every hour, you take two minutes to allow your brain to recover. Stress is the stimulus for growth and it is during the recovery period that growth occurs. If there is no recovery, there is no growth. That's the only way we build the resilience muscle.
3. Resilience
Another factor in dealing with a stressful situation is resilience. The American Psychological Association defines resilience as a "process of adapting to trauma, relationship problems, health problems, or workplace stressors." It means recovering from difficult experiences.
You can build your resilience in a number of ways. Dr. Steven Southwick and Dr. Charney identified 10 factors that can strengthen your resilience. We've picked out a few for you:
Positive attitude. Optimism is closely related to resilience and keeps stress from happening in the first place.
Change your perspective. Think of stress as your friend. People who are resilient usually see a negative situation as an opportunity for growth, learning or change.
Face your fears. When you consciously face a challenge instead of avoiding it, you can better manage it and build self-confidence.
Social support. People who turn to friends or family get through stressful times better.
Exercise. It improves your mood, reduces stress, and makes you physically stronger and more vital.
4. Exercise
Exercise can turn your stress response into a constructive activity and distract your mind from the challenges at work or home that make you feel chronically stressed. In many ways, exercise seems to be a form of stress prevention. Exercise doesn't eliminate stress, but it does give your body the conditioning it needs to recover from it. The best exercise for stress relief is the one you do regularly. Find a sport that fits well into your schedule and that you enjoy. For some, that's a morning spinning class or an evening run. For others, it's a 30-minute walk during their lunch break. As always, the rule is, Be consistent, man! ✌️
5. Take your Vitamins
What we eat affects how our brains and bodies function. This is one of the most important principles of NOUMEN. Botanicals, vitamins, and minerals have a long tradition as stress management tools - we all know the calming effects of a cup of tea. However, recent research suggests that some specific supplements are particularly effective in alleviating stress or preventing it from occurring in the first place.
This is where we come in
Stress is not as difficult to manage as we often think. If we know the right strategies, we can combat stress effectively. We can even use it for ourselves to be stronger in difficult situations. That's why we developed Superhuman Supplements. It contains all the nutrients your brain needs to do its job and sleep better. It's not a miracle cure. There's no such thing. Instead, we've taken a look at the science of nutrition and stress and given you effective nutrients to manage stress with our combination Brain and Sleep Supplement.